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Bystander Effect

What Is the Bystander Effect?

The bystander effect occurs when the presence of others hinders an individual from intervening in an emergency situation. Social psychologists Bibb Latané and John Darley popularized the concept following the infamous 1964 Kitty Genovese murder in Kew Gardens, New York. Genovese was stabbed to death outside her apartment three times, while bystanders who observed the crime did not step in to assist or call the police. Latané and Darley attributed the bystander effect to the diffusion of responsibility (onlookers are more likely to intervene if there are few or no other witnesses) and social influence (individuals in a group monitor the behavior of those around them to determine how to act). In Genovese's case, each onlooker concluded from their neighbors' inaction that their own personal help was not needed.

Recent Posts on Bystander Effect

We’d all like to think that when we see something bad happening that we’d step forward to render aid. But in reality most of us don’t. And although some people won’t take the initiative to help, they will take the time to photograph or videotape the event and post it on the internet. Why?

With the long overdue awareness of dating and sexual violence finally being raised with No More public service announcements and greater media attention in general, this offers some recommendations to help prevention really hit its mark.

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Parents and children both are seeking answers to how they can stop the seemingly ubiquitous problem of bullying. Below, I offer some ideas for what parents can do, what we can tell our children, and finally some thoughts on the impact of bullying on mental health.

Although the search for flight MH370 has ended in tragedy, the search itself has been an incredible mirror of some of humanity’s greatest qualities. Rather than behaving as bystanders, over 3 million people joined the search online via Digital Globe. Their actions, in tandem with an international team of responders, is helping to expand our understanding of heroism.

"What have we learned in the past 50 years since March 13, 1964, when young Kitty Genovese was murdered in front of neighbors who did nothing to help her?" Even today, several new books are appearing, to reveal new facts about Ms. Genovese' iconic death and little-known life. This essay reviews the many diverse impacts on society and the behavioral sciences.

Fifty years ago, Kitty Genovese was 29 when she was viciously assaulted and stabbed to death. Psychology textbooks all teach about the crime, as it led to the theory of “the bystander effect.” Now we can read a much fuller version of the whole story in a compelling new book.

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Yueyue, a 2-year-old hit-and-run victim left for dead and ignored by more than a dozen passerby in Guandong province, China, is both an innocent child-victim, and a symbol of the West's rising anxiety about What's Next.

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